Friday, 16 August 2013

Ana McGinley is an Australian with a love of being immersed in cultures that she doesn't understand. She enjoys the thrill of being squeezed on buses with squawking chickens and their owners; eating foods she can't recognise; being part of conversations that sound like musical clacking; and watching people move oddly for reasons unapparent. These reasons are the same for why she has four children and one husband - all born in different parts of the world - and together, all providing that same feeling of belonging to something that causes confusion.

Ana has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Social Work. She has worked extensively with older people suffering memory loss or mental health issues. Ana has taught Singaporean university students about human development, and consulted on dementia projects for Dutch architectural students. She has written columns on social issues for expat magazines (Singapore); and articles about Dutch cities and culture for Expatica.nl.

Currently living in the Netherlands, Ana contributes regularly to DutchNews.nl as a writer and reviewer. Her book reviews for Summertime Publishing and Mosaique Press can also be found on websites listed on the portfolio page. Ana blogs about memory loss (www.memoryextracts.blogspot.com), Haarlem (haarlemreviewboard.wordpress.com) writing, travel, and being the alien in an adopted land.

Long term plans include being able to write uninterrupted during the daytime hours (and being paid copious amounts of money to do this); moving to a Mediterranean island and waking up every morning to the sun shining on her face and the smell of the sea enticing her to 'come on in'; making goat cheese to go with the evening wine; spending one month in an unfamiliar country every year; and learning some patience.